Garment hanger



June 2, 1925.

1,540,363 W.' REID GARMENT. HANGER- Fi led'March 11. 1924 A, I c. Q

x i l AJ- WITNESSES: 'INVEflTOR:

' I BY 716mm Reid,

1 WRNEYS. I

Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM aErD, or r nrnannnrnra. IPENNSYLVANIA.

GARMENT HANGER.

Application filed March 11, 1924.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM R1111), a citizen of the United'States', residing at Philadelphia, county of. Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Garment Hangers of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I

Thisinventionrelates to garment hangers and is directed to the provision of a hanger that may be used either fordouble point Suspension as in wardrobe trunks or for single central point suspension when employed in closets and so designed that it may be transferred between a trunk and a closet without disturbing the garments thereon.

This desideratum I attain through a very simple arrangement in the form ofan attachment that can be applied to ahanger characterized bya cross bar above the coat hanging portion through aid of which the hanger is ordinarily supported by parallel rods in a wardrobe trunk? This attachment comprises a yoke to spanthe cross bar so as to leave the same free for skirt or trouser hanging, said yoke being provided with a central suspension hook, and capable of folding to a position within the perimetrical confines of the hanger so as to be entirely out of the way when not in'use. IVith the attachment are associated means which will firmly hold it in either the unfolded or folded position, yet permit movement with expenditure of a-very. slighte'liort, when conversion is to be eifected'to one or the other condition of use.

The practical advantages accruing from my invention will be readily appreciated from the detailed description which follows of a typical embodiment thereof, the appended claims servingto point out clearly and precisely the features which I'believe to be new and novel and therefore patentable.

In the drawings, Fig. I is an illustration showing my improved garment hanger in side elevation with the means whereby the same may be converted for single point suspension in out of use position. Fig. II is a similar view of the hanger with the means aforesaid in service position; and

Fig. III is a detail view in perspective Serial No. 698,395.

- showing one of the parts of the conversion means 'on a larger scale than in Figs. I.

skirt or. trouser hanging cross bar '52 joined to the portion 1 by a comparativelynarrow vertical connecting web 3, the crossbar hav v ingnotches I cut in its loweredge near its ends designed to engage parallel bars or rods such as ordinarily found in wardrobe trunks for two point suspension of the hanger. Such a hanger structure may be readilyfabricated from wood, or formed from appropriate sheet metal by die stamping.

The means whereby the hanger may be converted for central single point suspension: includes a yoke or bail 5 preferably formed of comparatively stout wire characterized'by a certain amount of'flexibility for a purpose to be presently" explained. The longitudinally extending segment Got the bail 5 is angularlyolfset slightly at; the center as indicated at 7, and there provided with a suspension hook 8; Near its extremie. ties the wire of the bail'5 is perpendicularly bent to provide short spacing segmentsj9; and beyond these again bent into parallelism with the longitudinal segment 6 to form terminal 'trunnions 10. Adjacent the ends of the cross bar 2 are attached plates ll'one of which is shown in completedetail in Fig. III of the drawings." Thesep'lates 11 may be conveniently made as die stampings rectangular in outline with corner holes 12 for screws or other convenient attach; mentmeans 13 (Figs. I and II), and formed with integral outstanding pivot cars 14: to take theftrunnion'ends 1'0 of'the wire bail 5', as well asoffset lugs 15 adjacent the ears, said offsets providing recesses for engaging thespaci ng segments 9 of said bail. With this construction it will be apparent that the bail 5 may be swung about the aligned axes of its pivotal attachment with the cross bar 2 of the hanger either to the' folded position of Fig. I,' or to the extended; or unfolded position of Fig. II.' The bail 5 is held in either of these positions through the engagement of the spacing segments 9 with the recessed lugs 15 of the plates 11 yieldingly maintained through the "inherent springiness of the wire, release of this engagement to permit turning being readily accomplished by a very light effort applied to expand the bail 5 sufficiently lengthwise (as possible by reason of the angular offset 7) as shown in. i'dotted lines in Fig. I to release the spacing segments 9 aforesaid from the recesses of the lugs 15.

Attention is particularly directed to the fact that by virtue of its configuration, the bail 5 when in the collapsed'position of Fig. I lies directly against one side of the hanger and wholly within the perimetrical confines of the latter so as to be entirely out of the way when not in use, i. e., when the hanger is to be supported by the cross bar 2. Furthermore the possibility of anything being caught by the suspension hook 8 of the bail 5'when in collapsed position is obviated by inclusion of said hook within the area of the web 3 that connects the arcuate coat supporting portion 1 of the hanger with the. cross bar 2.

When the bail 5 is swung to the extended position of Fig. II for support of the hanger y' the hook 8, it will be noted that said bail spans substantially the entire length of the cross bar 2 leaving the same unobstructed for hanging of skirts or trousers as before with a sufficient interval above its upper edge to permit ready threading of such garments in the course of their application to the hanger.

The garment hanger of my invention is )articularly advantageous and convenient for, travellers since by reason of its susceptibility to conversion, as hereinbefore explamed, 1tv may be suspended from ordinary closet hooks or on the parallel supporting bars of standardized wardrobe trunks. The transfer of the hanger between a closet and a trunk may be effected without disturbing the garments hung thereon, as the hook 8 of the bail 5 has a clear path for swinging in either direction through the. open neck portion of a supported coat.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A garment hanger with provisions enabling it toibe supported from opposite ends, and auxiliary attached means yieldingly hinged to the hanger whereby the same may be: converted for central single point suspension.

2. A garmeit hanger with provisions enabling it to be supported from opposite ends, and auxiliary attached means whereby the hanger may be converted for central single point suspension, said means being yieldingly hinged for containment within the perimetri'cal confines of the hanger so as to be entirely out of the way when not in use.

3. A garment hanger formed with a cross bar engageable at opposite ends to support the hanger, in combination with a yield ingly trunnioned bail foldable on the hanger whereby the same may be converted for central single point suspension.

4. A garment hanger formed with a substantially arcuate coat-hanging portion and a cross bar above said portion engageablc at opposite ends to support the hanger, and a yieldingly trunnioned bail whereby said hanger may be converted for central single point suspension, said bail being foldable to a position within the perimetrical confines of the hanger so as to be entirely out of the way when not in use.

5. A garment hanger with provisions enabling it to be sup aorted from opposite ends, and a flexible ball attached to the hanger whereby the same may be converted for central single-point suspension, and means for yieldingly maintaining the flexible suspen sion. bail in either the unfolded or folded position.

G. A garment hanger having a substantial- 1y arcuate coat hanging portion with an overlying cross bar joined by a. narrow vertical web to said portion and engageable at OPPO". site ends to support the hanger, in combination with means whereby the hanger may be converted for single central point suspension including a yieldingly trunnioned bail swingable downwardly in retained position against the web aforesaid so as to be entirely out of thewny when not in use.

7. A garment hanger with a substantially arcuate coathanging portionfand an overlying cross bar engageable at opposite ends to support the hanger, in combination with means whereby the hanger may be converted for single point suspension including a bail formed with a central hook and attached at its extremities to the ends of the cross bar to leave the latter clear of obstruction for trouser or skirt hanging, said bail being foldable to a position within the pcrimctrical confines of the hanger so as to: be entirely out of the way when not in use.

8. A garment hanger with a substantially arcuate coat hanging portion and an overlying cross bar engageable at opposite ends to support the hanger, in combination with means whereby the hanger may be converted for single point suspension including a bail of flexible wire formed with a central hook and having its extremities pivotally attached to the ends of the cross bar to leave the latter clear of obstruction for trouser or skirt hanging, said bail swingable downwardly toa position within the perimetrical confines of the hanger so as to be entirely out of the way when not in use, and means with. which the bail is yieldingly maintained in engagement under its inherent springiness to keep it in either the unfolded or folded positions.

9. A garment hanger with a substantially arcuate" coat hanging portion and an overlying cross bar engageable at opposite ends to support the hanger, in combination with means whereby the hanger may be converted for single point suspension including a bail of flexible wire formed with a central hook means whereby the extremities of the bail are attached to the ends of the cross bar so as to leave the latter clear of obstruction for skirt or trouser hanging, said means comprising plates with integral ears for pivotally engaging trunnions formed at the ends of the bail whereby the latter may be swung downwardly to a position out oi the way within the perimetrical confines of the hanger when not in use, and recessed lugs also integrally formed on said plates with which angularly-turned portions at the bail extremities are maintained in engagement under the inherent springiness of the wire to keep the bail in either the extended or collapsed position.

10. A garment hanger with a substantially arouate coat hanging portion, an integral cross bar above said portion having undercut notches at opposite ends to support the hanger, a bail pivotally trunnioned to the cross bar so as to leave the latter clear of obstruction for skirt or trouser hanging, and a hook centrally of the bail providing a single point suspension for the hanger.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this 6th day of lVIarch, 1924.

WILLIAM REID.

\Vitnesses JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON. 

